Messiah (George Frideric Handel) Flashcards
Date
1742
Circumstances of performance
a benefit concert in Dublin, composed the previous summer in only 24 days
Genre
oratorio
Time signature (at least for everything we look at)
C
structure
(53 mvmts in total) Part 1: prophecy of coming of Christ, Part 2: Christ’s suffering, death, and spread of his doctrine, Part 3: the redemption of the world through faith
performing forces
S,A,T,B soloists with SATB chorus and string orchestra + continuo + oboes, bassoons, trumpets, and timpani
Overture: title
Sinfony
Overture: genre
French overture
Overture: Form
A (repeated) B
Overture: key
E minor
Overture: Time signature
C
Overture: A: Tempo
Grave
Overture: A: Texture
homophonic
Overture: A: predominant rhythm
dotted figure (some interpret: double dotting)
Overture: B: Texture
polyphonic (fugal), 3 voices
Overture: B: subject 1st introduced by
1st violins and oboes
Overture: B: answer
tonal
Overture: A: affection
unknowing, fear, and a sense of nobility
Overture: B: affection
urgent, yet more hopeful than section A. at times it feels almost didactic
There were shepherds: 1: text
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night
There were shepherds: 1: type
recitativo secco
There were shepherds: 1: key
C major
There were shepherds: 1: tempo
not indicated
There were shepherds: 2: text
And lo! The angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid